Even now, at the age of 80, she wants to continue taking on new roles.
But all the while, she wanted her private life to remain just that.
Its not something that appealed to me, Bishop tellsRolling Stone.
Kelly BishopChad Griffith*
But in her newmemoirThe Third Gilmore Girl, published by Gallery Books on Sept. 17, Bishop bares all.
Its all taught her some very valuable lessons shes finally ready to share.
Thats a very life-affirming thing.
Its so important that we love ourselves.
Dont let someone else define whether youre lovable.
It started out as just a workshop.
It wasnt a show and it didnt have a title.
It was just an experiment.
Now I want to go and express myself as an actor.
Its a beautiful song.
I think its the best song in the show, actually.
I secretly thought Priscilla Lopez [who originated the role of dancer Diana Morales] would win.
Part of me thought, Well, Im really doing the acting here.
I just accepted that.
So when I won, it was astonishing to me.
I didnt plan anything, including a speech, because I didnt think I was going to win.
My father didnt want to pay for my dance lessons.
My father was a whole other thing.
Im sorry that he was where he was.
I think it was the alcohol more than anything.
In the book, you discuss having an abortion when you got pregnant after your divorce.
It wasnt something I particularly wanted to share with anyone.
It was very private and, for me, it was very sad.
I was just going to leave it alone.
I thought, Darn it, Im putting my two cents in there, too.
Everybody takes this very seriously and thats why they make you wait, because you might change your mind.
I thought, people have to know that.
What was it like to be there that day?It was so inspiring.
But I was so relieved whenRoe v. Wadebecame law.
I wanted to celebrate that on the anniversary.
I was so overwhelmed by the number of people.
It was just a real mixture of America.
There were speeches, but when it came to the march itself, it was quiet.
It was just a very peaceful walk.
How are you feeling about the upcoming presidential election?Im very excited.
I dont think I have to explain to anyone but Im a liberal.
I like Joe Biden I think hes a very honorable man, hes smart, and hes certainly experienced.
Im 80, and hes only one year older than me.
Hes not decrepit, but that night of the debate, he was dreadful.
It just broke my heart.
He seemed to be completely lost.
So I think most of us who were on the left side were very discouraged.
Then when he supported Kamala Harris run, it was such a relief.
Theres so much enthusiasm now.
I had been very concerned about the young voters, but now young voters want to get out there.
I want to feel like theres somebody really smart and energetic [running].
And maybe the first woman president.Finally.
I remember when Hillary [Clinton] was running and people didnt like her.
Theyd say, Shes so cold.
I would say, I dont want a girlfriend.
I want a president.
She shouldnt have to be warm and fuzzy.
Just give me a good brain.
How does it feel to know youve touched so many lives throughGilmore Girls?I absolutely love it.
I was so surprised when young people would say, Emilys my favorite character.
Id go, Really?
I couldnt figure it out.
But now it tickles me.
I just love it, because I love playing Emily.
I thought it made her much more vulnerable.
Thats what I was thinking about her on my own but I never discussed it with anyone.
That said, this is the way it panned out.
Theyre all making a lot of money off this not the actors, but everybody else.
And now the show continually gets a new audience.
The smarter you are, the more you enjoy it.
Theres a lot going on there.
I knew even before I got the script, its going to be a big change for Emily.
Everybody else hopefully will have grown and had other experiences and relationships will have changed.
But with Emily, its going to be a whole new world, and it was.
Amys father had died [before the revival] and shed been very close to him.
She was able to draw on her mothers behavior, being a widow, to inform Emily.
But overall it was a wonderful experience for me.
Amy made it work and now shes on to other things.
We all felt very proud of that show, because it was a quality show.
I think wed be happy to go back and give it a shot again.
Im just not sure Amy and Dan would be that interested because theyre expanding their horizons.
So I sent her a text and I asked, Is this something that you want me to do?
She came back and said, Yes, yes, yes.
That character I played was a hoot.
Thats the way it was.
The powerful men could demand certain favors if you wanted the role.
Theyre less likely to say, OK.
The real thing thats interesting now is theyre more likely to say, Hey, everybody.
You know what just happened to me?
That really changed things, too, the whole #MeToo movement.
We just put up with it and I think women now arent going to do that.
What a gift to be getting paid for something you enjoy doing.
